Not Myself Series: Alone I Break
by Saerry Snape
Summary: For all those who wanted to know what happened in Chapter 72. This is what happened in that rickety old building in the slums before it burned to the ground...


**Disclaimer: **J.K.R. owns Harry Potter and co., not me (I wouldn't mind owning Sev though).  This story is slightly (basically bits of the plot ideas; just technical stuff) inspired by Minnionette's _A Gutter Rat's Tale_ and Dauphin's _Let History Repeat Itself_.  Niamh O'Feir, Jardin, Mika Davids, Darcorn's, and anything you don't recognize belong to me.

_The door leading into the room flew open and the three occupants looked up to see Harry framed in it, his face all shadows and his eyes gleaming bright green._

_"Maybe he can't defend himself," growled the teen, glaring at the shell-shocked Argil._

_"But I can."_

Excerpt from Not Myself, Chapter 72 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"Who the hell are you?"

These were the first words out of Argil's mouth after he regained control of his voice.

A smirk played across Harry's lips as he hissed softly, "Surely, you recognize one of your own _children_."

Bloodshot brown eyes narrowed then widened.

"_Potter?!_"

The smirk widened.

"Well, well.  You _do_ recognize me after all."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

_Pick me up_

Been bleeding too long 

_Right here, right now_

_I'll stop it somehow_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"What the hell are you doing here, Potter?"

Harry's eyes flicked to the battered form of Tyls then back to Argil.

"Rescuing a friend."

Abram laughed harshly and spat, "Please, Potter.  You can't take on the both of us!"

Green eyes narrowed, darkening to a shade close to black as they glittered with suppressed and tightly controlled anger.

"Can't I?" said Harry's voice smoothly.

Abram scoffed and Argil seemed to gain courage from that.  He sneered at Harry, rat-like features twisting.  Anger swelled up in Harry and he clenched his right hand to keep it from reaching for his wand.  _No magic_, he chanted in his head, like a mantra.  _No magic…_

"Get out, Potter."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I will make it go away 

_Can't be here no more_

_Seems this is the only way_

_I will soon be gone_

_These feelings will be gone_

_These feelings will be gone_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"I don't think so, Argil.  I really think _you_ should get out."

Argil scoffed and snapped, "And _why_ would I do that?"

"Because," hissed Harry softly, dangerously.  "If you don't, things might get rather…messy."

"What…?"

"For you that is," added Harry with a light cackle.

Argil and Abram glanced worriedly at each other.  They were used to seeing the Harry they remembered.  And the teenager standing in front of them wasn't that.  Not by a long shot.

On the floor, Tyls moved slightly, pushing himself out of the way.  He winced as pain shot up his left leg as he moved it.  Broken probably.

Harry's eyes darted to his friend then back to Argil.  He took a step forward and snarled, "Get out, you sorry son of a bitch.  I can't believe you.  First you take in children when they're young, children who have nowhere else to go, and raise them to be pickpockets.  And _then_, like the sick bastard you are, you rape them.  _Rape them_.  How the hell can you do that to _children_?"

Argil growled, "Its my due."

"_For raising them?_"

"Yes."  Argil lifted his chin imperiously.

Harry stared incredulously at him for a moment then began to laugh, low at first then rising up.  When he stopped, he shook his head at Argil, eyes darkening even further.

"You sick bastard."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Now I see the times they change 

_Leaving us, it seems so strange_

_I am hoping I can find_

Where to leave my hurt behind 

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"And what are _you_ going to do about it, Potter?" snapped Abram.  "You can't right us."

Harry laughed harshly.

"Oh, I assure you, Baxter," he purred, "I can and will take on the both of you.  You'll both be locked up for this."

"_Me!_  But – it was him!"  Abram pointed an accusing finger at Argil, who glared at the teenager.  "He did it all!  He raped them!"

"_BUT YOU HELPED HIM!_" roared Harry.

Abram looked around the room as if for an escape, his breath coming in quickening gasps.  He hissed, "It was him – he did it.  He did."

Harry hissed something in Parseltongue and Abram yelped, jerking back in horror.  Even Argil jumped.

"Shut up, you pitiful excuse for a human being," hissed Harry, repeating what he had said in Parseltongue in English.  "Your going and that's final."  He then turned to Argil and added, "And you'll be locked up.  I'll make sure of that at your trial.  Tyls and I will both stand.  Along with anyone else you raped."

Argil's eyes flashed and he growled, "You won't have that chance, Potter."

Harry's eyes widened slightly but that did nothing to light the blackness that had penetrated the normally green orbs.

"What the hell does that mean?"

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

All the shit I seem to take 

_All alone I seem to break_

_I have lived the best I can_

_Does this make me not a man?_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Argil simply smirked and Harry frowned.

"What – does – that – mean?"

Argil continued to smirk and Harry clenched his fists, not noticing when his fingernails pierced the skin of his palm.

"_Tell me!_"

"It means _this!!_"

Argil drew a long knife from somewhere among his tattered clothes with a flourish.  The blade glinted and Harry realized too late what was about to happen.  His eyes flew wide, their color snapping from black to green in a second.

"_NO!!_"

The blade flew.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Shut me off 

_I'm ready_

_Heart stops_

_I stand alone_

_Can't be my own_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry lunged at Argil in the same instant the man's wrist flicked to throw the knife.

He was too late.

Too late.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I will make it go away 

_Can't be here no more_

_Seems this is the only way_

_I will soon be gone_

_These feelings will be gone_

_These feelings will be gone_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry hit the floor hard, rolling off Argil as the man grunted underneath him.  He whirled to see where the knife had gone.  And nearly died on the spot.

The knife had imbedded itself deep in Tyls' chest.

Tyls gasped, dark brown eyes wide as he stared at the long blade that was poking up out of his chest.

Harry collapsed onto the floor beside his friend, hands hovering on the other boy's body.  Tyls looked up at him and Harry reached for his hand, grasping it tightly in his own.  The other boy returned the grip.

"Tyls.  Mate, hold on.  We'll – we'll get you help.  Just hang on, mate."

Tyls smiled and whispered, "Na.  I'm goo' as dea', 'Arry.  Na even ye c'n save me."

"Tyls…"

"'Arry…  Le' me go."

The sandy head began to tilt back, dark eyes closing.

"Tyls!"

"'Arry…" breathed Tyls.  "D – doan blame yerself.  S'na yer – fault.  An' tell…tell Ni I'll miss 'er."

The head slumped back, life vanishing from the eyes.

The hand Harry gripped loosened its hold on his hand.

And a scream of such loss, grief, and sadness ripped itself from Harry's throat.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Now I see the times they change 

_Leaving us, it seems so strange_

_I am hoping I can find_

_Where to leave my hurt behind_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Abram and Argil watched in stunned silence at the scene in front of them.  Harry's scream had lasted longer than was probably humanely possible and the sound of it still tremored in the air.

Beside Tyls, Harry was bent, shoulders slumped and head drooped.

Argil saw it as his chance.

He reached into his tattered jacket and drew another knife.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

_All the shit I seem to take_

_All alone I seem to break_

_I have lived the best I can_

_Does this make me not a man?_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Argil stepped towards Harry, lifting the knife as he went.  The blade glinted as it was aimed at the small of the teen's back.

Just as he was close enough to strike, Harry turned.  Eyes narrowed and glittering with rage, he looked up with Argil without fear.

The look of triumph that had been on Argil's face faltered and the hand holding the knife quivered.

Harry turned from Tyls' body and rose to his feet.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Am I going to leave this place? 

_What is it I'm running from?_

_Is there nothing more to come?_

_Am I gonna leave this place?_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

It was Harry Potter – Slytherin, Seeker, Boy-Who-Lived, bond of the last Altair Raven, Lord Hex – that collapsed to the floor.

It was Severus' Snape son that rose from it.

Eyes burning coldly, he advanced on Argil.  The ratty man stumbled back, taken aback by this change of countenance.  The teen's face was now a stony visage.

"_Bastard_", hissed Harry, reaching out a hand toward Argil.

The man panicked.  He tried to strike Harry with the knife now but the boy caught the man's wrist effortlessly, breaking it and grabbing the knife in one motion, slicing the hand at the same time.

Argil screamed and collapsed to the floor.

Harry towered above him, face impassive.

He then knelt beside Argil and hissed, "I ought to kill you right now, you bastard.  In fact, my better judgment tells me I should do that.  But that would bring me down to your level."  His eyes flashed, their depths black once more and crackling some otherworldly power.

"And I'm not you."

Harry stood, turning his back on Argil.

The man rolled over towards Tyls, sliding the knife out of the dead teen's chest.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Is it always black in space? 

_Am I going to take its place?_

_Am I going to win this race?_

_Am I going to leave this race?_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Argil leapt up off of the floor with a roar, the bloodied knife aimed at Harry.

Abram let out a cry of dismay, which alerted Harry.

The teen turned and let the knife fly.

It struck Argil in the heart.

Blood flew from the man's mouth as his forward momentum was halted.  Harry had thrown the knife with enough force to send Argil flying backwards until he struck the wall, the knife pinning him to the wall.  Argil jerked once then died.

Harry turned to Abram, who screamed in terror.  He began to gibber as Harry stalked across the floor towards him.

"Please don't kill me…please don't kill me…I don't want to die…I don't want to die…"

"Get up," hissed a harsh voice.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

_I guess God's up in this place?_

_What is it that I've become?_

_It there something more to come?_

_More to come_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Abram looked up into Harry's still black eyes, flinching away from the dark power swirling in them.  Harry sneered and grabbed the older teen's arm, jerking him to his feet.

"Get out," spat the younger boy.  Abram nodded furiously.  He would only be too happy to oblige.

Harry released his arm and Abram inched towards the door, not completely trusting that Harry was letting him go.  As he got closer to the door, his steps got more reassured.  By the time he reached it, he was ready to bolt.

Harry's voice stopped him.

"Oh, and Baxter?"

He sounded as though they were simply conversing over a cup of tea, not over a room that contained two dead bodies.

Abram turned, eyes wide and full of fear.

Harry kept his back towards him as he finished speaking.

"If I happen to see you again, I'll have to kill you.  Remember that."

Abram nodded and fled.

Harry turned to look after him then looked at Tyls.

His eyes returned to their normal green and he let out a choked sob, sinking down to the floor.  He pushed himself into a corner and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his long arms around them.

Then he bent his head so his forehead touched his knees and wept.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Now I see the times they change 

_Leaving us, it seems so strange_

_I am hoping I can find_

_Where to leave my hurt behind_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry rose from his position in the corner sometime later.  He looked around the room with tear-filled eyes, avoiding Tyls' body.

His eyes landed on an oil lamp, the wick burning dimly.

As though he was not in control of his own body, Harry rose, walking over to the table where the lantern sat.

He picked it up, hefted it in his hand.

Then he hurled it at Argil's body.

The lamp shattered, the oil splashed over Argil's form, and the wick caught.  The man's body disappeared in a blaze of flame that then began to spread over the building.

Blackness filled Harry's eyes for a moment as a satisfied smirk crossed his tear-streaked features.  Then it faded.

Harry watched the flames spread, cast one glance at Tyls body then turned and walked down the stairs.

It took all his will not to go back up them, even as the smoke began to spiral down.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

All the shirt I seem to take 

_All along I seem to break_

_I have lived the best I can_

_Does this make me not a man?_

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

_"Harry!  Harry!  Harry, answer me!"_

_"Da!"_

_Severus rushed towards his son, who had just stumbled down the stairs.  He half-carried, half-dragged him out of the burning building and made it outside just as the place collapsed.  The two of them slumped to the ground, Severus pulling his son into his arms in a tight hug at the close call._

_"Are you alright?" he asked into Harry's hair._

_The teen nodded numbly and burrowed into his father's arms, letting out a soft whimper.  Severus pulled back and saw his son's tear-streaked face for the first time._

_"Harry…what happened in there?"_

_The boy shook violently then gasped, "Argil…he – he killed Tyls.  He…killed him.  HE KILLED HIM!"_

_Severus pulled his son back into his arms, feeling the boy tremble.  Harry buried his face in his father's neck and Severus barely heard the next words._

_"And then I killed him."_

Excerpt from Not Myself, Chapter 72 

A/N: There.  You asked for it, now you got it.  The story of what happened in the building after Harry entered and before the blaze began.  And don't asked about Harry's eyes.  That will be explained in due time.

Lyrics of the song are "Alone I Break" by Korn


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